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buckpaws · 3 years

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Fawnpaw’s Way

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Fawnpaw is an apprentice of Autumnclan - known for its clever disposition and keen ability to hunt in the undergrowth of their dense forests. Unlike her littermates, however, her apprenticeship is to her mother, and her den has always been the nursery. Having only learned to walk at 5 moons, there were grim expectations from her clan’s medicine cat; but now at 8 moons, Fawnpaw is at a pivotal moment of self-discovery as she navigates her unique role within Autumnclan.

(experimental little wc oc writing from song of 6 trees...a story about trees and cats and stuff)

ALLEGIANCES

AUTUMNCLAN resourceful ● forest foragers ● adventurous

LEADER APPLESTAR - dark brown tabby she-cat with a white chest and tail tip, and pale green eyes

DEPUTY HAZELHEART - small light brown tabby she-cat with soft yellow eyes

MEDICINE CAT MAPLEFLOWER - calico she-cat with orange covering her muzzle DAPPLEHEART - large golden she-cat with a distinctive spotted coat and white paws

WARRIORS FERNSHINE - stocky calico she-cat with thick fur and green eyes

YELLOWBIRCH - lithe orange tabby tom APPRENTICE, RUNNINGPAW

SORRELWING - long-furred ginger tabby she-cat APPRENTICE, BRINDLEPAW

VIXENBREEZE - Cream-colored she-cat with dark paws and ears, and piercing blue eyes APPRENTICE, MOTTLEPAW

LEOPARDSPOTS - very large golden she-cat with distinctive dark spots and a long tail

DUSKSTRIPE - Thick-furred dark gray tom with dark paws and amber eyes

FOXBURROW - tall, dark brown tabby tom with unusual curled fur and yellow eyes

BRACKENSTRIPE - brown and white tabby tom with amber eyes and large paws APPRENTICE, VOLEPAW

FALLENWING - dark gray tom with a dark muzzle and ears, and amber eyes APPRENTICE, MISTYPAW

FOGBRIGHT - Pale gray she-cat with a light underbelly, and yellow eyes APPRENTICE, PLUMPAW

BLAZINGBIRD - thick-furred ginger tabby she-cat with a white muzzle and bright green eyes

FINCHMASK - thin light brown tabby tom with a white face and paws

GORSEWIND - small calico she-cat, blind in one eye

APPRENTICES PLUMPAW - lean black tom with green eyes

MISTYPAW - pale tabby she-cat with large blue eyes

VOLEPAW - small, dark brown tabby tom with short, curled fur and yellow eyes

BRINDLEPAW - tortoiseshell and white she-cat with dark green eyes

RUNNINGPAW - brown tabby tom

FAWNPAW - tiny brown and white tabby she-cat with a half-white muzzle and green eyes

MOTTLEPAW - long-furred tortoiseshell she-cat with white paws and a twisted jaw and nose

QUEENS MUDPETAL - small tortoiseshell she-cat with light yellow eyes APPRENTICE, FAWNPAW

MARIGOLDTAIL - strong calico she-cat with an orange tail and green eyes (mother of Rosekit, an orange and white she-kit, and Pinekit, a dark brown tabby tom with a white chest and paws)

ELDERS MARBLECOAT - very old, big white tom with black on his paws, nose, and ears

SNOWDROP - frail old white she-cat with a black spot on her nose, going blind

BRIARFALL - cream colored she-cat with dark ears and paws, and dark blue eyes

BADGERTOOTH - black and white tom with amber eyes and large white paws

***

ch.1

Fawnpaw nuzzled into her mother’s flank, letting the soft tortoiseshell fur found there lull her to rest while she was groomed. This was what she did every day, as she continued to live in the nursery. She was too weak to handle normal apprentice duties, but her heart was happy surrounded by marble. The moss, leaves and feathers made it comfortable under her paws, and it was hard to imagine making her home anywhere other than the place in which she was born.

Feeling her mother’s tongue begin to rasp behind her ears, a purr erupted from the tiny brown and white she-cat. Mudpetal was the kindest and most beautiful queen in all of Autumnclan, and the apprentice couldn’t imagine a better mother or mentor. It wasn’t a popular or conventional decision for the young she-cat to stay in the nursery for her apprenticeship, but it didn’t bother her. In the last moon alone, she had seen the entire underground cave that sprawled beyond the nursery, protecting it like a sacred pearl. Mudpetal had also taught her the Warrior Code, how to care for the clan’s elders and kits - Fawnpaw certainly felt like an apprentice! Her mind whirled with the different responsibilities of being a clan cat, and when her siblings would return to camp with their jaws clamped around freshkill, Fawnpaw found herself even more glad to be exempt from hunting. It would be difficult to compete with Volepaw or Runningpaw.

Her brothers, as well as her sister, Brindlepaw, had been made apprentices two moons before her. They were a strong trio, constantly venturing out from the nursery together. At the time, Fawnkit and Mottlekit had been fighting for the strength to wake up each day. The tiny she-cat smiled, thinking of how much she owed to her youngest sister. Despite her ailments and disabilities, and how different her mind behaved to other cats in the clan, the tortoiseshell had never stopped battering her sister with her paws to play, purring at any cat who came by. It didn’t matter to her, even now as an apprentice surrounded by stronger, bigger, healthier young cats, Mottlepaw faced every day with bright eyes.

“You seem especially happy today,” Mudpetal mewed, finishing her grooming with a purr of her own. “What’s on your mind, Fawnpaw?”

Gazing up at her mother for a moment, Fawnpaw felt like she couldn’t speak through her purring.

“I’m grateful, that’s all. I wonder if I’ll get to attend a gathering soon with everyone else.”

Her mother was thoughtful, and finally gave her a last lick on the head, smoothing a set of stripes into place in her tabby fur.

“I’m sure Applestar will let you go soon. The Gathering-Place isn’t too far from our camp.” But her voice held a few notes of doubt that were difficult for Fawnpaw to ignore. She peered up, yellow eyes prying, until her mother had to avert her olive gaze from her daughter. “We’re facing some difficult times. Our leader has many worries.”

“Do I worry her? For being weak?”

“You are not weak,” Her mother said sternly, “Being able to run and hunt aren’t the only ways to be strong. You’re learning how to care for your clan in a different way, that’s all.”

It was as she always told her, and Fawnpaw liked the conviction with which her mother could comfort her. She was loved. That was definitely true. There would be plenty of time to prove herself to Applestar and the rest of Autumnclan.

A loud mewl filtered into their den. Fawnpaw’s ears pricked to catch which kit was fussing. A pause. Pinekit.

She looked to her mother for approval, who gave her a nod and a gentle nudge with her muzzle. The apprentice scrambled from her nest on skinny, wobbly legs. Shaking soft bits of moss and fern from her pelt, Fawnpaw scurried out of her mother’s section of the nursery, and out towards the rest of the cave. Following the noise, she finally popped her head through the entrance.

Marigoldtail was trying to lick her son into feeling calm, but Pinekit just wouldn’t settle. Looking up, the calico she-cat’s eyes brightened at the sight of her sister’s kit. Beckoning her over, Fawnpaw padded up and nuzzled the young tom. His sister, Rosekit, was trying to burrow herself into their mother’s belly, away from the squawks and cries of her littermate. She had even stuffed her tiny white paws over her ears.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Marigoldtail murmured, looking apologetic. “He’s had trouble sleeping since he came back to the nursery. And the herbs my sister gives him don’t exactly make the job any easier.”

Fawnpaw nodded in understanding. The poor little kit had had problems with his breathing since he was born close to three moons prior. She nosed at his dark brown tabby fur, stopping at the white patch on his chest. Letting her purr overpower the gentle rattling of his breath, Fawnpaw felt Pinekit begin to knead into her. His cries were soon raspy purrs. She licked away a few stray pieces of yellow coltsfoot that had stuck to his white leg fur like little golden bugs.

The queen was now purring heavily too, blinking with gratitude at the young apprentice. Once he was thoroughly asleep, she tucked Pinekit gently back into his mother’s belly, where he curled up against his sister. Fawnpaw’s heart felt full at the sight of the tiny bundles of orange and brown fur, their white paws and tails intertwined. She loved her kin, and was so happy she got to take care of them. It would be a long time until they were apprentices, but maybe they could train together someday! The kits were so small, surely she would be able to keep up with them far better than her rambunctious littermates.

“You have a real skill, Fawnpaw,” said Marigoldtail, her green eyes shining with affection and pride. With her tail straight up and twitching happily, Fawnpaw turned and left the den. She stopped at the entrance of her mother’s den, where the small she-cat was laying on her side with her head resting neatly on her paws.

“I’m going to go look for Mottlepaw,” She meowed.

“Good, the sun must feel wonderful today. When you see her, you should remind her to see Mapleflower for her herbs.” Fawnpaw dipped her head at her mother’s request. Her sister wouldn’t love them; hopefully it wouldn’t be a large ordeal to get her sister to the medicine cat’s den.

“Come on, Mottlekit! They’re good for you!” Dappleheart mewed wearily, trying not to be discouraged by the kit’s loud protests. Rather than saying no, the she-kit simply threw herself on the ground, yowling and screeching. Mapleflower’s tail lashed nearby, orange and white fur whipping in and out of her place in the shadows. The golden she-cat’s ears flattened to her head, struggling with failing to please both her patient and her mentor.

“She’ll learn…” She started, only to be silenced by Mapleflower’s glare. “I know that they’re not very yummy … “

“No! No! No!” Came the eventual words from Mottlekit, but her words were slurred and off-center. The cleft in her lip, curled up into her nose like an angry vine, made her look even more hysterical and upset when her jaw opened to yell.

Disheartened, the medicine cat apprentice guided the kit back to her nest. She would never give up on Mottlekit, no matter how much work it took to get the stubborn little kit to understand her.

Fawnpaw owed just as much to the medicine cats as Mottlepaw. She spent a lot of time musing on the moons spent helping the two she-kits grow into cats healthy and strong enough to become apprentices. And once they were ‘paws, Applestar had found the perfect places for them. Fawnpaw knew that her leader was proud of her progress so far, even if it didn’t mean an extra body on one of her patrols. Why would Autumnclan have elders if every cat had to be strong and tough? Why would apprentices have to wait six moons to start their training, only after their bodies had begun to become strong and nimble? It made sense to her.

Letting her paws carry her down the slope, Fawnpaw felt the smooth marble begin to fade into sturdy, gray stone. The vines and aspen leaves marked the entrance of the nursery, but Fawnpaw could tell it by touch alone. She passed it, looking around for any sign of her sister. The cave portion of the camp was quiet, and so she decided to venture up above ground. Maybe one of her littermates would be enjoying some of the greenleaf sunshine that Mudpetal had mentioned. Following subtle divots in the stone from generations of paws, Fawnpaw made her way towards the cave’s main opening. It was steep, and tiny pebbles cascaded down with every step up towards the pouring light that led into the center of camp.

Padding up and into the gorge, Fawnpaw’s large ears twitched back and forth. Different scents hit her nose, and she felt a little startled by the diversity of them. Peering around the bend of red rock, Fawnpaw noticed Leopardspots and Duskstripe, her mate, sharing tongues under an overhang. The shade there muted the gold and gray shades of their pelts, and the pair seemed content to rest in the cool shadows. Fawnpaw looked in awe at the large she-cat, easily as tall as a fox, but with a heart a hundred times more gentle. She had heard many stories of Leopardspots’ bravery, bringing her kits to Autumnclan in order to protect them from the wrath of her kind. One of those kits had then gone on to save her life.

She could also scent Applestar and Hazelheart, their familiar tang muddled with something totally unfamiliar. The imprint of many hushed voices drifted down from the leader’s den, but Fawnpaw couldn’t make out anything that was said. Besides, she wasn’t interested in eavesdropping on the leader and her deputy’s affairs.

With a polite nod to the resting warriors, Fawnpaw continued on her way.

Even as she passed under the dappled light of the forest, peering insistently through brambles and bushes, Fawnpaw could feel that the entire hollow was warm. Her pawsteps were silent as shade consumed her once more. Where the hollow met the earth, thick layers of soil and red stone kept the elder’s den pleasantly cool in greenleaf, but plenty warm during leafbare. Fawnpaw’s eyes followed the vine and honeysuckle trail that she had woven into place at the den’s entrance. The sight of it made her heart surge with pride. Mudpetal had taught her the importance of keeping the elder’s den clean and full of stimulation. It was one of her favorite of the apprentice tasks, though few aside from her found the time to do such a thing in addition to their training.

Flicking her ears against the tickles of the vines, Fawnpaw caught a scent that she knew too well, and her tail quivered in excitement. Following voices and scents once more through the dark den, she was soon met with a busy scene before her. Mottlepaw was there with Plumpaw, an older apprentice who had once been their denmate in the nursery. Badgertooth and Briarfall, the youngest elders, were resting with the young black tom, who was gently massaging Briarfall’s flank. Fawnpaw remembered that his mother, Vixenbreeze, was the pair’s only kit.

“Ah, Fawnpaw!” Came a rattling mew from Snowdrop. The she-cat was tiny in her old age, but her white pelt still glowed against the dark stone and moss nest she spent most of her time in. Her brother, Marblecoat, grunted beside her.

“Two apprentices is more than enough,” He muttered.

“Fawnpaw!” Mottlepaw cried out in excitement, nearly tripping over one of Badgertooth’s large paws to reach her sister. He lifted it with a flick of his tail tip, and the tortoiseshell stumbled over to Fawnpaw. “Fawnpaw!”

Blinking with affection at her sister, Fawnpaw nuzzled her head with her muzzle. Mottlepaw practically slammed her head against the young tabby’s pelt, causing her to fumble on her paws. Loudly purring, Mottlepaw looked up at her with love in her asymmetric gaze. Her twisted nose let out happy little huffs.

“Hi Mottlepaw, hi everyone,” Fawnpaw meowed, guiding her sister to sit with Plumpaw once more. She gave him a friendly wave of her tail.

“Nice to see you, Fawnpaw. We were just helping Briarfall with her joints,” Came Plumpaw’s voice, as sweet as his namesake. He was a good denmate to her sister now too, and Fawnpaw was glad for it. Plumpaw, or his sister, Mistypaw, were always thinking up games to play with the younger kits. Even when Mudpetal’s strongest had taken to venturing out at any opportunity, there was always the black tom there to play mossball, or give a quick nuzzle during a fit, in Mottlepaw’s case. Sometimes, when she was just Fawnkit, unable to stand or walk, Plumkit would just sit with her and talk. Without him and Mudpetal, Fawnpaw wondered if she would have even known what things existed to be talked about.

“If they’re still busy, you’ll have to get this tick, it’s making my shoulder ache,” Snowdrop beckoned Fawnpaw over, drawing her from her thoughts. She was quick to begin inspecting the elder’s white pelt, and even faster to find the fat, black tick nesting there.

“There’s some mouse bile over in the corner, but don’t go dragging it through here. The pests Badgertooth brings in on his shaggy pelt give me enough trouble as it is,” Snowdrop shared a disgruntled look with Marblecoat, whose black ears seemed to always lay flat in hostility.

“It’s a reminder of the forest. You should be glad you get the chance to experience it at your age, Snowdrop,” Badgertooth snorted.

“She has a point, you know,” Came Briarfall’s amused mew.

“I still like to hunt. I don’t intend on stopping.” The large tom said with a soft sigh of assurance. His mate laughed low in her throat, leaning on him until half of her cream-colored fur had become one with his long, black pelt. Snowdrop gave only a sigh in response at her endearingly raucous denmates. Fawnpaw could barely stifle her purr at the cats around her as she sat to work with the soaked moss, dabbing the mouse bile lightly onto some of the ticks. It required a delicate touch, so as not to spill the foul liquid on any cat’s fur. She had never been able to smell too well, so it didn’t bother her as much as it seemed to bother the other apprentices. Volepaw practically gagged every time he came to and from Mapleflower’s den with the moss clamped desperately to the longest piece of bark he could find.

It was funny to Fawnpaw how such a brave and capable young apprentice could be squeamish about something so small. One day, he’d have to let the young cats remove the ticks from his fur. Maybe at that point they’d share a den again, with all of their littermates together, and they could joke about things like that.

“I think I’ve got it,” Fawnpaw meowed after a short time, giving Snowdrop’s fur a last inspection. The she-cat waved her away with her once sleek tail.

“Thorough as always, Fawnpaw,” The elder said, seemingly in approval, before casting a glance at the tortoiseshell apprentice sitting a few tail lengths away. Mottlepaw was oblivious, playing with a flower from the den wall in place of checking the elders, or easing their aches. Now, Plumpaw was working alone. “You’ll be a warrior soon, Plumpaw; you shouldn’t spend all your time doing apprentice duties when we have so many.” She spoke now to the dark tom, who met her pale gaze with his own. He clearly picked up on the implication of her words, as did Fawnpaw, who began to bristle slightly.

But Plumpaw answered in a level tone, “It’s important to me. I hope you’re not too tired of me yet, Snowdrop.”

“Hardly,” The she-cat laughed in her throat, rasping as she always did, and her eyes were not entirely unkind or without understanding, “Sometimes the only way apprentices learn is when they’re forced to learn on their own, without someone to watch their flank. Life out there is hard, and only the strongest are able to pull through.”

“You’re sounding awfully wise today,” Marblecoat commented before any cat had the chance, “Who asked for your speech?”

“Are you disagreeing with me?” Snowdrop’s meow was incredulous, and Plumpaw rolled his eyes before turning back to Mottlepaw and the other two elders, his conversation with Snowdrop clearly forgotten in favor of a new quarrel. It was hard to stay mad at the she-cat on account of her short of a time her criticisms tended to last. Like an ember doused by a lake, Fawnpaw had heard Mistypaw joke once about the white elder’s memory.

“I caught a butterfly today...” Mottlepaw started up loudly, her head pushed in between Plumpaw’s cheek and one of Briarfall’s dark ears. His green eyes met Fawnpaw’s, and he gave a small glance to the mouth of the elder’s cave. Fawnpaw stood up in knowing, her tail neatly brushing the den floor in a small gesture to her sister.

“Really?” She said in her usual quiet tone, “Would you come with me and tell me more?”

Mottlepaw’s interest was captured instantly, and she quickly stood and pressed herself to Fawnpaw’s flank. She could feel her sister purring intensely.

“Okay! Yes!” The young apprentice was practically swaying on her feet from the breathy purrs rumbling in her throat. It was then that Plumpaw also stood.

“Mind if I tag along, Fawnpaw?”

“Sure,” She flicked her white-tipped tail, “Let’s all go for a walk. Let me know if you get any more ticks,” Fawnpaw said, dipping her head to Snowdrop and Marblecoat, who were already settling down at the sight of the trio leaving. It made her heart drop with sadness. Was Mottlepaw really such a nuisance the elders? Fawnpaw knew just how important their opinions were as the oldest cats in the clan, and she hoped to Starclan that they would come around to her sister. There was more to Mottlepaw than her boundless energy and stumbling, or how she looked on the outside. Fawnpaw held that fact close to her heart, and she knew it made her more than a little protective of her youngest littermate.

Not much time had passed since she had arrived at the elder’s den, but the air of the cave felt even warmer as the greenleaf breeze brought in with it the sun’s warmth. It was pleasant on her fur. Even clumps of moss that grew through crevices in the cave felt comfortable to Fawnpaw’s touch underpaw.

“This weather is amazing,” Plumpaw meowed, voicing her thoughts out loud.

“It’s the best! I hope Starclan makes it greenleaf all the time!” Mottlepaw agreed, and Fawnpaw gave her a friendly nudge.

“That’s not how it works, silly furball,” Fawnpaw mewed quietly, and her sister’s everpresent purr intensified once more.

“I’ve never been to Starclan, who’s to say…” Plumpaw said, with a mischievous glint in his green eyes.

“I don’t even know how to get to Starclan!” Mottlepaw responded in dramatic agreement, “I bet they tell the trees not to grow tall enough for us to get up there! We’d know all their secrets! Secret knowledge!” She rambled on, tromping around Fawnpaw and Plumpaw with a distracted sense of purpose. It was as if she expected a Starclan warrior to come down and prove her wrong if she thought about it long enough.

“Maybe Mapleflower could tell us more.” Fawnpaw suggested, sensing an opportunity which she hoped would be a tactful enough excuse for Mottlepaw to visit the medicine cat’s den. She seemed to pause, but nodded slowly.

“Yeah, and Dappleheart can make voices for the story!” Mottlepaw said, excitement slowly dawning on her like a reckoning.

As the three apprentices made their way out of the deeper cave and back into the open air of the gorge, alive with the birdsong of greenleaf, they saw a hunting patrol emerging from the top of the gentle slope leading from the forest. Fogbright was leading it, alongside her brother, Fallenwing, his apprentice, Mistypaw. They were also accompanied by Sorrelwing and Brindlepaw, who carried a plump squirrel and a blackbird between the two of them. Fawnpaw’s ears pricked at the sight of her strong older sister, and she was about to call out to her before Fogbright’s gaze narrowed on the apprentices.

“Plumpaw! Where have you been?” Her tail whipped once before she continued, “Why do I have to keep hunting you down too?” She said, pointedly gesturing at the fresh-kill pile with her tail, where Sorrelwing and Brindlepaw were arranging the patrol’s bounty.

“I’m sorry, Fogbright,” Plumpaw dipped his head in apology, “I lost track of time while I was in the elder’s den. Briarfall’s aches haven’t eased since newleaf.”

“That’s nice, but it’ll hardly put freshkill in our bellies,” Fogbright meowed dryly, “I hope you’ll be ready for your assessment tomorrow. Mistypaw caught two finches on patrol this morning.” The pale-furred tabby apprentice seemed to shift uncomfortably at the praise directed towards her. Fawnpaw too shifted, but in surprise; she hadn’t known just how early Plumpaw would become a warrior! Mistypaw’s mentor, Fallenwing, came to stand beside his sister. Fawnpaw thought they looked like a pair of proper littermates, with the only difference being Fallenwing’s darker gray fur, shadowy next to Fogbright’s light gray pelt.

“Plumpaw is doing fine, Fogbright. His battle moves are sharp, even Yellowbirch couldn’t dodge him when we trained the other day.” Fallenwing meowed evenly, and Fogbright seemed taken aback at his words. When Fawnpaw saw the two together, which was quite often, they usually shared a common voice.

Fawnpaw felt her own paws begin to itch with discomfort. Was she just feeling paranoid today? First with Snowdrop’s dismissiveness, and now Fogbright’s irritation at seeing her apprentice helping Mottlepaw with her apprentice tasks. It seemed as if every time she left the nursery, someone was displeased about the two newest apprentices. She tried to ease the feeling by reminding herself of her mother’s words earlier that morning. If Applestar was feeling the stress of some kind of difficulty in the clan that Fawnpaw couldn’t see, it was very well possible that some of the mentors were also experiencing a strain. Still, it made her ears hot, and Fawnpaw pressed against her sister’s warm, dark fur.

“Thanks, Fallenwing,” Plumpaw said gratefully, still looking to his mentor apologetically, “I could ask Hazelheart to put me on evening patrol tonight to get sharp.”

“Don’t worry about it. I want to see your best tomorrow.” Was all that Fogbright said, simply flicking her tail before turning the other way and descending down the red rock tunnel back to the warrior’s den. Plumpaw cringed in clear guilt for upsetting his mentor, and Mistypaw padded up to give him a sympathetic lick on his shoulder. Her blue eyes were as clear as the sky, offering him comfort without words. Fawnpaw admired their bond; she couldn’t imagine growing up with only her mother and her aging kin. She thought they were a beautiful family, but couldn’t shake the feeling that without her father, Foxburrow, she would be impossibly sad, or that deep down she’d feel a hole in her heart. Never had a day gone by without him visiting the nursery, or the medicine cat’s den, when life had been truly uncertain. His deep amber gaze never failed to shine with pride at her or Mottlepaw. Fawnpaw would never get tired of hearing the story of her father’s coming to Autumnclan, how as a loner, he had been so captivated by Mudpetal’s beauty that he had asked their previous leader, Gingerstar, to take him into the clan. It must be difficult for Vixenbreeze’s kits to have never known what their father was like.

“I guess there’s no harm if I come with you to see Mapleflower and Dappleheart now,” Plumpaw said at last breaking the awkward silence left by Fogbright’s sharp words. And seemingly sensing the energy directed at her denmate, Brindlepaw had quietly slipped through the tunnel after Sorrelwing, and the opportunity to talk to her was gone too.

***

#wc #song of 6 trees #warrior cats #wc oc #fanclan #idk...just kind of proud of this dont look at me ill teleport away #im special interest #also cut out the other clans because.....its just too much for this 1 thing. they r still there tho #warrior cats oc

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